Machine for making wire fabric



June 1953 A. L. STOECKEL MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1949 INVENTOR A/be fLSfvecke/ 4 4 44k, I Xi, W19? J 6, 1953 A. L. STOECKEII... 2,642,098

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC Filed larch 31, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE NTOR Alb rfLSfvecke/ June 16, 1953 A. 1.. sToEcKEL 2,642,098

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC Filed March 31, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 WWW 8 51-l'WM-m! June 16, 1953 1.. STQECKEL MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed larch :51. 1949 INVENTOR- A/ erfLS/vecke IMN a mu mu A. L. STOECKEL 2,642,098

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC June 16, 1953 Filed March 31, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 /v m. C 8 8 w t e QM S 8 2 h El 4 m w e ,2 m M S 0 l A. L. s'ToEcKEL MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC June 16, 1953 Filed March 31 1949 A. L. STOECKEL MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC June 16, 1953 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed larch 31 1949 mzzgzz 1 .20. 7 .Fig. 21.

INVENTOR Alberf LJfoeckel offtwisters where Patented June 16, 1 953 MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE mm Albert Lstoeckcl, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Wean Equipment Corporation, Euclid, )hi'o a corporation of Ohio Application March 31, 1949, Serial No.*84,533

This inventionrrelates to a-machine for making-wire fabric and to improvements in such a machine facilitating its operation and whereby animproved and more uniform product maybe produced. Certain of V the improvements are adaptable for use in wire working machines generally. V

. Forpurposes of explanation and illustration I have shown the invention as embodied in a machine for making hexagonal mesh wire fabric out'of strands of wirewhich are fed to the machine in generally side-by-side relationship and twisted together at intervals in a manner known.

in the art. In the machine shown series of twisters are provided and certain adjacent wires are twisted together by one series of twisters and other adjacent wires are twisted togetherby the succeeding series of twisters to produce the wire fabric. The wires are guided into the twisters by guides disposed adjacent the twisters. Since thegeifective length of a wire is shortened by twisting it with another wire provision is'rnade for providing slack in the wires, which slack is taken up by the twisting of thewires together.

I provideimprovedmeans for forming slack in the wires. I provide, in amachine for making wire fabric having series of twisters to which wires arranged in generally. tionship are fed to twist wires together and make wire fabric, guides forjdirecting the wires into the twisters and means for forming slack in'the wires to provide for twisting, said means being interrupted at spaced points therealong to provide passageways for line wires which are not twistedso that no slack is formed in the line wires.

7 The line wires may be selvage wires at the edges of wire fabric being made on the machine.

A selvage wire is twisted about an adjacent wire only by twisters of alternate series, the line wire extending straight in the direction of the'length of thelfabric between twists. I should not have slack formed in it at those series the straight passageof'line wires between twists effected by alternate series of twisters.

'I'he slack forming means engage the wires in-.

termediate the series of twisters to draw slack side-by-side rela- Hencejthe linewire 1 Claim. (01. 140-5.)" I

be incorporated in the fabric at desired locations transversely ofthe fabric.

I preferably employ a spaced intervals aboutits periphery and each dis-.

posed in aradial plane projections whose outer. extremities. are parallel with the axis of the'drum for engaging the wires intermediate the series'of twisters todraw slack therein toprovide for twisting.

Theslackforming means inay be sectional, the sections thereof being disposed end to end but having adjacent ends spaced apart to form passageways for line wires which are not twistedso that no slack is formed in the line wires. I. desirably provide a rotatable shaft disposed generally parailellt o the series of twisters and sleeve means carried by theshaft and rotatable therewith and having projections for engaging the wires intermediate the series of twisters to draw slack therein to provide for twisting.

enarotatable drum is providedfor the slack drawing means the drum preferably has in 7 its surface. longitudinal slots equally spaced cirit is not to betwisted. My ima proved slack formingrmeansmakes provision for e "The slack-drawing means may of blades disposed in slots in a carrying device cumferentially thereof and slack drawing memhere in the slots for engaging the wires intermediate the series of twisters.

be in the form such as a rotatable drum and projecting radially outwardly therefrom for engaging the wires intermediate the series of twisters; the blades may be held in place by fastening devices disposed intermediate the blades. Each fastening device may be in holding engagement with the blades on both sides thereof, p

Ina wire fabric making machine theorder in which the wires which are to be twisted together enter each twister should be uniform in order that the resultant fabric may be fiat and of uniform and regular. appearance. In some machines for makinghexagonal wire fabric alternate rows of twisters turn in opposite directions to effect the-twisting of. the wires; In the machine'herein shown all or the twisters turn in the same direction to effect/the twisting of'the wires. For

uniformity throughout the fabric a predeter-- minedlyoriented wire should enter each twister first. I provide extremely simple yet highly e'f therein before the wires are twistedby an ad jacent twister and are shaped to provide wire receiving recesses at spaced points therealong to provide passageways forline wires which are not twisted so that no slack. is formed in the line wires. Every roll of fabric has: straight selvage wiresiatits edges; straight line wires may also fective means for insuring entry of the wires into each twister in. the desired order.

' I provide, in a machine for making wire fabric having s'eries of twisters to which wires arranged ingenerally side-by-side relationship are fed-to twistfwires'.togetherand make'wire fabric and guides for directing the wires into the twisters,

drum carrying. at equally wire delaying means at one side of a twister to delay entry into the twister of one of the wires entering the twister to insure entry of another wire ahead of said wire. The twisters herein disclosed are throated twisters and the guides are disposed adjacent the sides of the twister throats.

The wire: delaying, means may-bedisposedat one side of ajtwisterthroat to delay entry thereinto of a Wire directed into the twister throat by one guide to insure entry into the twister throat ahead of said wire of a wire directed into the twister throat by the opposite guide. LI ma-y pro-1' vide means disposed in the path ofa wiredirected into the twister throat by onei of'ithejiguides.to,

' momentarily delay entry ofthat wireintoi'the twister throat. V v

The wire delaying means may' be integral' with the twisters. I desirably provide meansforming part of a twister disposed in the path of a wire directed into the twister throat by one of the "guides 'to momentarily delay entry of "that wire into the twister throat 'to'insure e'ntry'into the twister 'throatj ahead; of said wire of a wire directed'into the twister throat by theopposite guide. a

'Ijm'ay form the throats'of the twisters'r elatively'open at one side and relatively restricted at the opposite side so that a wire directed'into the throat of such a twister by a guide atthe l first mentioned side'of thethr'oat will 'move down into the throat aheadof a wire directed into the twister throatby the opposite guide.

The twisters may be in, the formofigears whic are operated by'racks movable generally parallel v to the series or rows of twisters. Each twister gear may have integraltherewith atone side'of its throat wire delaying 'meansfor the purpose above explained.

I preferably provide meansdisposed in the paths of wiresdirected into the throatof a twister at each 'side'thereof said means at one side of the throat" comprising a surface extending morejtransversely of the throat than said means atthe other side of the throat .to'insure entry into the'throat of'a wire directed thereinto along thesecond mentionedside of thethroat'in ad vance of a wire directed thereinto simultaneously along the first mentioned side ofthejthroat. "The inner portion ofeach twister throatmay-have a transverse dimension less than twice thediameter of 'thejwire to be twisted but the entrance to the throat may have a transverse dimensionrgreater than twice the diameter of the wire to'be-twisted, theentranc'e to the throat being tapered from relatively great transverse dimension: to relatively small transverse dimension inwardly of the throat, the taper at one sideof the entrancebeing greater than thatat the oppositeside of the entrance. i

The wires employed in making wirefabricin v a machine cf'the type above referred to are -feditothe machine from coils disposed-adjacent the machine.- For a wide machine manycoils of wire areemployed. For example; amachine capable of producing jwire fabric up to eightyone. inches wide may employ asma ny 'as'l56 "different wires each of-which is pulled'from a'coil I are taken by fthe; itwisting mechanism.

the twisting means.

than they are taken by the twisting mechanism,

the intention being that slippage will occur between "thefifeeding device and the wires when thereisa tendency to feed them faster than they Such mechanism hasnot, however, been fully satisfactory and overfeeding of the wires to the twister '-mechanism has 'occurred, resulting in irregularities inthe material and occasion tangling of the wires in the machine.

I provide means for preventing overfeeding of the wires to" the twisting mechanism. Iprovide, in a machinefor making wire fabric having twisting means to which wires arranged in'-generz'a.lly

sideby-side relationship are fed 'to' twist wires together and make wire fabric and meansfor pulling'wire frorn a source of wireand feeding it to the twisting means, an overfeed preventer disposed between the pullingandfeedingmeans 'and the twisting meansengagingthe-wire to ill-.

sure against feeding thereof-by thepulling and feeding means' when thewire tends't'o feed to the twister means faster than the-wire is taken-by The pulling and feeding means are preferablyconstantlydriven during of wire. With a large number of coils it is of course necessarythat some of them be *disposed relatively remcte from the machine and that means be provided "forguiding each win" to its proper place '-;in= thefmachine. Theconsequence of this is thatgreatr-pull 'is required to feed certain -wi-res --to the machine then is required'to ieedotherwires; It is important that'zthe wires operation of the machine and the overfeed pre-' venterpreferably engages'the wire to cause the wire to remain stationary orbe fedto the twisting meansat'a speed-lessthan thespeed at which the constantly driven'pulling and feeding means tends to feedthe-samewhen the pulling and-feeding means tends to feed the wire to the twisting'means faster than the wire is taken by the twisting means.

The overfeed preventer may exert back tension on'the wire to inhibit feeding of the wire to the means for acting on itfasterthan the taken by such'means.

.The means for acting on the wire and the means for advancing. the, wireffrom a source of wire-t0 the first mentioned means-may'both be positively driven'at relative speeds such thatthe wire ad vancing means tends-to advance wire to the first wire is mentioned means at aspeed slightly greater than the speed at which th first mentioned means takes the wire, the overfeed preventer beingdi's' posed between the wire-advancing means-and'the first mentioned' -meansexerting back tension-on the wire to cause slight slippage between the-wire and the advancing means'so that the advancing means 'insuresfeeding of wiretothe first mentioned means to at all times meet the demands of the first menticnedimeans', but without the formation of'slack between'the advancing means and the first mentionedmeans. j

The advancing or feeding means may be a capstan wire feeder. The-means for acting on the wire and the capstan may I both .bepositively driven at; relative speeds such that the capstan tends to feed'wire tothe first mentioned'means at a speed slightly greater than the speed at which the first mentioned means takesthe wireand :the overfeed preventer may be disposed between the capstan and the first mentioned. means and exert a dragon the wire :so that slight slippageoc- Lcurs between the wire. and the 1 capstan g and the the slack forming means toward tiveedges of a strip of wire fabric being wire is at alltimes fed to the first mentioned means at approximately the speed of the first mentioned means without the formation of slack between the capstan and the first mentioned means The overfeed preventer may be positioned at a point relatively close to the capstan and mayfrictionally engage the wireso thatthere will be no slack in the wire between i the overfeed preventer and the means for acting onathewire and the tendency of the capstan to feed the :wire at a speed greater than thespeed at which the means for acting on the wire takes the wire is overcome by slight slippag between 1 the wire'and the capstan.

I provide for mounting the means for forming the slack in the wires so that such means may be 9 moved toward and away from the series of twisters or means for acting on wires fed thereto in such manner that the relative positions of the means H for acting on the wires and the slack forming means may be adjusted while maintaining precertain present preferred embodiments .of the in vention, in which 1 1 Figure 1A is a fragmentary diagrammaticplan .viewof a machinefor making wire fabric;

.Figure 1B :13 23a ...fragmentary diagrammatic elevational view of the machine. shown in Figure u-Figures 2A and 2B taken together (joined at the chain line X- X) constitute a fragmentary determined relative orientation therebetw'een. A

plurality of supports may be provided for the slack forming means and means may be employed for synchronously moving the supports to move means for acting on the wires. Ipreferably employ a single control device and connections between the control device and the supports for synchronously moving the supports upon operation of the control device.

When the slack forming meansis may be mounted in a pair of'bearings spaced apart therealong, preferably adjacent the respective ends thereof, and a single control device may be employed for synchronously moving the bear ings,through appropriate connections, relatively to the means for acting ,on the wires. A drive turnable it andfrom the l shaft maybe provided for the slack forming means which is generally coaxial therewith and a flexible connection may be employed between the drive shaft and the slack forming means to per- I mit turning of the slack forming means by the drive shaft-when the slack forming means is in different positionsrelatively to the means for acting on the wires. v A shaft may extend generally along the slack forming means and connections maybe employed between the shaft and the supports for the slack forming means whereby upon turning of the shaft the supports are movedsynchronously toward or away from the meansfor acting on the wires whereby to adjust the relative positions of the slack forming means and the-means for acting on the wires while maintaining predetermined relative orientation therebetween; Means may be provided at both-ends of the shaft for turning the shaft. 1

I also provide means engaging a wire prior to entry thereof into a twister deflecting the wire from its normal path whereby to change the angle of entry of the wire into the twister and thus provide for entry into the twister of another wire ahead of said wire. Such means are of especial utility in insuring uniform twisting at th respecmade on the machine. For reasons which will be fully explained hereinafter means areprovided which are operative at one edge only of a strip of wire fabric being made on the machine engaging a selvage wire prior to entry thereof into a twister deflecting the wire from itsnormal path whereby to change the angle of entry of the wire into the twister and thus provide for entry into the twister of another wire ahead of said selvage wire; Guide;

Figure dis a fragmentary vertical cross-sectionalview tonenlargedscale taken on the line IV-IV of, Figure 3;.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the machine taken on the line: VV. of .Figure 4;. I

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view through a portion of the machine, taken on theline VI.VI of Figure 2A;

Figure .7 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view througha portion of the twister ,drum and twister operating mechanism taken on the line VIIVII of Figure 2A;

.Figure 8 is a further enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the twister drum;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line IX-IX of Figure 8;

the twister ;Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken onthe line XIII-XIII of FigurelO; Figure 14.151211 end elevational view of one of a series of sleeves in which are mounted the bladesfor feeding the wires into the twisters;

; Figure 15 is a cross-sectionalview taken on the hue XV-XV of Figure 14; l

Figure 161513, cross-sectionalview showing one of the sleeves with the feeding blades in place therein; l a

Figure l'l is a face view of one of the feeding Figure 18 is an end view of the blade show in Figure l7, partly in cross-section;

' the line X[XXIX\of Figure 17;

: lgigure 20is a face view of a keeper plate; an C Figure 21 is an edge view of the keeper plate shown in Figure 20.

Referring nowhmore particularly t the drawings and initially to Figures 1A and 1B, there is shown a machine for making wire fabric hav- "ing atwister drum 2 containing series of twisters IIFWhIChWiIBS which arefedto the drum are twisted together to make wire fabric, a. feeder :Wheel flamechanism Lfor stripping the wir line wireswpass froni the-pulley t3 about pull ys fabric from the drum -2-and' -"a reel 5 i upon which the fa'bricis wound "-up-intoa roll. --The machine shown is one which i is designed tomake one -inch hexagonal mesh wire =fabric ltsometimes called poultry netting or chicken-wire") up 5 to a 'maximumwidth bf seventy-two inches. The width of the machine itself isgreaterthan seventy-two inches to .provide for making-simultaneouslyia plurality of strips of fabric ofan=ag+ :gregate width of seventy twoinches with=a vspace or spaces between adjacent strips. s-The 'macliine may 'make a: single strip "of fabric 1 severity two inches wide or a "single strip narrower "than seventy-two inches in width or it may take simultaneouslya number of strips' as abovetnentioned. When a singlestrip tr fabric vhaving ":a width of seventy two inches is "being made 144 mesh wires and four selvage wires -(two selvagewir'es at each edge) are employed, making a total of r48 -wires; When-1a ="s'ingle rip -of' fabric :nav- 20 ing 'a' width cf tw'e'n y four he 'es s bein'g made 7 4s inesh wires 'and'fo'u'r se vagewiresttwose1vaee wires at each 'edge) are-employed,making a wearer-52 wires. 'Whenthree twenty-fouriinch strips are made simultaneously" -three times :52 t

or 1-56 wires areemplo'yed. Each wire is'flisposed in "a coilt (ana swift 17 modnted on -the floor adjacent the machine. The s'wifts nearra-nged in -t'Wen'tY-six rows 'of six swifts ea 'ch. For lack of s ace ronly" 'a: 'few 0f the :rows e'of swifts are shown in Figures 1A and':' IB. For clarity some -bf the" 'es a re omitted iniFig'ure lA but it is-to be 1.111121'"ersto'od that when-tl1ree z l in'ch:: strips" of *wire fabric ='=are being' made 'siniultan eously all' 156"Swifts are used. g

The individual-wii esepassing' to the ma'c'hine are desigfiated by re rence numeral :8. Each wire extends from ts sw ift to -a tension control device 9 disposed out the' swift" and th'ence about pulleys m and 'll to a capstanreeder 12. The capstan feeder' l as driven-" in theifzli'ackwise direction viewing Figure 1B 'an'd eafchw ire is disposed about it fcr at least ohe bturn. Desirably the capstan feeder l2 hassgroovesy-om for eachf wireg so that it riot only feeds the wires forward but maintains thein -in iiiroiier reiative position. Th'e oapstanv feerierrlz zhas the' ch'aracteristic that when a wire dra n taut about it the --feeder-ubon 'i otation but when the 'wireu "l" latter turns "within "advance.

From the cai stan 'iz pulley i3. The mesh pulley It to the twis'te wand lls to-the twistez drumz r'see r'ietres e for a reason which will be presently e'xpl The wires 8 "are' twistedtogether in the' twister drum to form wire fabric. The fabric is-st' n from the drum by thestnpnin mechanism 4 whence it assesto-overhe whichdeliver the fbrl' whence it is drawn creeper s m -and 'coil'ed upon the-reel. Whena coii of esired e been formed upon the reel 5 the wire is cut,- the coil is removed a -w can 'i's started. The

tfdity ei'ght owes ts see Figure 9 betw'eerf whichare 'dispesed drilled and of the machine.

' t the frame B bby bolts 3'5.

ase selvage wires which --fabric *andyare twisted only by twister-s of alter- I n'ate series. 'Ihe twistersof successive series-i are staggered, i. egthose of the secondt-series are 8 fastening screws. In each-groove I 9 -disposed against the opposite walls thereof are opposed o-29 coo oerating VJllihrktDSl p-lates 38. I-Each 1 fl'reeper' plate -39 engages external shoulders 24 of the; plate 2 laatoppcsite sides thereof. The-man- :ner 'in'which the plates -2l are assembled and held::in--plac'e on the twister drum -2 is clearly .shownfinFigureQ.

Disposed within; the space between the -plates '2 I :of-each' cooperatin *pair of such plates 'out- "side the spacer "28 is a rack 3| which meshes with all of the twister gears 2'! journaled-in that pair of plates 2L Each-rack is mounted for movement lo'ngitudinally' of the twister drum and upon longitudinal movement turns all of they-twisters of oneseries of twisters-totwistwiresdisposed in the throats of the twisters. ries' at-each end afollower'roller .32-wh-i chfollows'a --stationary circular camB-B, there being a two complementary cams '33 at the-respective-ends As the twister drum "2 turns the racks 3 l' are being continually moved back and forth parallel to the-axis of the; drum by the sta- -tionary cams '33. ihe cams 33 areboltedto 'T-he twister'drum 2 is driven by'a shaft 36.

"As above stated all of the twisters of themechinefherein disclosed turn'in the same-direction to'twist' thewires disposed therein. T"wo wires pass into the-throat of each twister whereupon the twister is'turned; which: occurs-by longitudinal movement of the rack in meshtherewith due to turning ofthe twister drum. -Each twister v may turn through a desired number of revolutions; for example; three, to twistgtheiwiresdisposed-in its throat whereupon the-twisted wires mayvbe drawnfrom-the twister throatand the twister may turn :back to its original position rre'ady to -receives'two 'more wiresto' repeat the "cycle. -Each-twist-ercompletesa cycle of- .movem'ents inarevolutiontof the twister drum 2.

The o1'1ter '-'edges 1 of the 'plates- 2| are serrated as 'shown'iniFig-uret. The-serrations provide curved guides 37 adjacent each twister so as t'o guideinto I the twister throat; wires delivered -thereto. I bystheirplates- 2 I have slots 3311501111'16 wires; such passustraight along the 2 Intermediate the twisters carried there- I disposed opposite the slots -3 B *which I are midway between the" twisters of the fir'st series. while the twisters of the third,-fifth;,seventh, et cetera,-series are: arranged in circumferential alignment withthose of the first-series: and the twisters of the fourth; sixth,-. eighth; 'et cetera, series tare-in i circumferential alignment with those of the secend-series.

*Each-r'ofi the 'guid'esrel'isrcurvedi'so that-sat its outer extremity- -it' is'sdispo'sedf toiguideaa :prede- Each rack- 31 car terminedly positioned wire into its twister while a similar guide for an adjacent twister of the next series will guide the same wire into its twister. Hence the guides 3! guide the wires into a twister of each series of twisters as the twister drum rotates each wire being moved laterally from a twister of one series to that of the next series and then back again to-its original line. .But since the two wires in each twister are twisted together the result is the fabrication of wire fabric of generally hexagonal structure as well known the art.

The plates 2| may extend the complete length of the twister drum or they may be in sections as shown in Figure 5. If they are in sections the sections abut end to end and form in effect a continuous plate extending from end to end of the twister drum.

Slack is formed in the wires to provide for formation of the twists by the feeder wheel 3. The feeder wheel? comprises ahollow shaft 39 driven by a shaft l and onto which are slid sleeves 4| arranged in coaxial abutting relationship. The shaft 39 has a key 42 and each sleeve 4| has a keyway 43 receiving the key 42 whereby the sleeve is held against rotation relatively to the shaft. When the sleeves 4| are properly positioned on the shaft 39 they are maintained in place by set screws 44 threaded into drilled and tapped holes 45 in the sleeves and whose inner ends intersect the keyway 43.

Each sleeve has a number of radial grooves 46, thirty-two grooves being shown in Figure 14. Each sleeve 4| has a relatively large circumferentialrec'ess 41 and a relatively small circumferential recess 48 cut out of it adjacent each face to provide for a stepped contour as shown in Figureifi. Drilled and tapped holes 49 are formed in each sleeve at the respective recesses 41, each sleeve having two circumferential series of holes 49, the respective holes being disposed midway between the grooves 46.

Disposed in each groove 46 is a feeder blade 50 generally in the form of a plate having in each face adjacent eachend a tapered recess 52 terminating in an, external shoulder 53. When the blades 59 are in place in the recesses 46 screws 54 are screwed into the holes 49, each screw passing througha keeper 55 which engages the shoulders 53 of the feeder blades at opposite sides thereof whereby the feeder blades are maintained inplac'e with respect to 'thesleeves. The blades,

however, areshorter than thesleeves, the length of eachblade being equal to the length of the sleeve carrying it less the sum of the axial dimensions of the circumferential recesses 48". Thus when the sleeves 4| are assembled on the shaft 4 39 in end to end relationship spaces 56 are formed between the ends of adjacent blades 50.

The shafts 36 and 4|! are driven in opposite directions at such speeds that each blade orlongitudinaliseries of blades 50 moves between adjacent sets of twisters as the machine operates as shown in Figures 4 and 6. The purpose of the blades 50 is to form slack in the wires to provide for twisting of the wires together, the slack being removing the bolts 54. The sleeves 4| are made removable from the shaft 39 by loosening the set screws 44. r

The sleeves and blades shown in Figure 5 are slightly different than those shown in Figures 14 to 19, inclusive. While two screws 54 engage each side of each blade in Figure 16 only one screw 54 engages each side of each blade in the form shown in Figure 5, the screw 54' being disposed centrally of the blade. e

The feeder wheel 3 is journaled in bearing blocks 51 at the respective ends thereof, each of such bearing blocks being horizontally slidable toward and away from the twister drum 2 in guides 58 carried by the frame. Each bearing block 51 carries a horizontally projecting screw 59 which is fixedly positionedrelatively to its bearing block and is threaded into a nut 60 journaled for rotation inthe frame at 6|. Integral with the nut 50 is a worm wheel 62 which'meshes with a worm 63 keyed to a shaft 64. There are two shafts 64, one at each end of the machine. Each shaft 64 carries a handwheel 65 for turning the shaft. The two shafts B4 are connected through couplings 66 with a shaft 51 so that turning of either handwheel 65 turns both shafts 64 synchronously. Such turning of the shafts turns the worms 63 carried thereby and those worms which mesh with the worm wheels 62 turn the nuts 60. But since the nuts 60 are journaled in the frame their turning causes the bearings 51 to move along the guides 58 toward or away from taken up in the twist as the twister-drum and feeder wheel turn. The line wires such as selvage wires pass within the slots 5 .iwhen they are not to be twisted by an adjacent twister so that no slack is formed therein. Provision may be made for any desired number of line wires by providing the sleeves 4| of proper length, as the length of the sleeves determines the spacing of the slots 56.

"The blades 50 :are removable for replacement by the twister drum 2. depending upon the direction of rotation of the shafts 64 and 61. In this way the feeder wheel may be, adjusted to desired positions relatively to thetwister drum while maintaining predetermined relative orientation be .tween the feeder wheel and the twister drum.

The shaft 40 which drives the shaft 39 is connected therewith through a flexible universal joint coupling 68 which provides for adjustment of the feeder wheel as just described. The required amplitude of adjustment is small.

As explained above it is important from the standpoint of uniformity and high quality of the fabric that a predetermined one of the two wires entering each twister move into the twister throat first. The wires enter the twister throat when the twister gear is in the position in which the twister gears'z'l are shown in Figure 8, to wit, with its throat which is designated generally by reference numeral 69 open outwardly between the corresponding guides 31. Asthe machineoperates two wires enter the throat. 69, one moving downwardly into the throat along each of the opposed guides 31. To provide for the proper wire entering the throat first I utilize wire delaying means which in the structure shown areintegralwith the twistergears. The throat 69 of each twister gear has a bottom portion ll) of uniform transverse dimension which is less than twice the diameter of the wire being employed and an entrance 1| which flares from the transverse dimension of the bottom portion Ill to much greater transverse dimension in a direction outwardly of the throat. The throat entrance is formed by inclined .surfaces 12 and 13. These surfaces have different inclinations, the surface 13 being steeply inclined while the surfacel'Z is less steeply inclined. The result is that as the two wires'move downwardly into the throat entrance, one being guided adjacent each side of the throat entrance, the wire which comes in contact with the surface 13 willm'ove relatively rapidly without interruption down into the bottom porprovision entrance into the throatoi each: twister gearof a predetermined wire ahead. of the other wire is assured. The wires move down in the bottom portion 10 of "the throat until they are disposed adjacent the axis-ofrotation'of the twister gear. Since the portion 'lwofthethroat has a transverse dimension less than 'twicethediameter of the wire rotation ofthea-twister gear insures twisting of the wires about each: other. Such twisting as above explained occurs as'the' twister 'd'rumrotates, the stationary earns '33 causing'the racks 31 sequentiallytoturn the'respective series of twisters; Afterathe two wires in each twister have been thustwisted thetwister comes to a stopwith' the throat open outwardly'and the twisted wires are'ejected from the twister by th'e first stripping wheel 4; The wire passes about thestripping wheels 4 and is delivered andlcoiled as above explained;

As-indicated above,= it is preferable to have'a double selvage wire-at-each edge of the strip of wire fabric; In order that'therfabridmay'be uniform there should be the same number of twists at the selvage on bothedges ofthe fabric. In theca'se of a 1" hexagonal mesh ma-chinethe twisters may make two'complete revolutions during each twisting operation; In order that there shall'b'e equal twists at'both'edgesof the fabric theselvage wires must'enter the twisters in ad- Vance ofthe mesh wire :at one edge of "the fabric and themesh wire must enterthe twistersin advance of the'selvage wires at the opposite edge of thefabric. To demonstrate the=reason forthis,

let'it be assumed that the twistersrotate clockwise looking in the direction ofadvance of the wire'fabric to twist the wires and that two completetwists at each edge-"are desired. Gonsidering now theselvage wires at the right hand side of thestrip-of wire :fabric lookingin the direction". of advance of the wire fabric, if. the 7 two selvage; wires enter the twisters ahead of" the mesh wire the twisting will start immediately upon commencement of' turning of the twisters resulting in two complete twists; On the other hand,- iithe mesh wire enters the'twisters ahead of'the selvage wires the twister-s will make a half revolution before starting the twisting, resulting in" only 'one and one halfi twists rather than two twists; Accordingly, on the right-hand side of the" machine whereit is dsiredthat" the two selva'gezwires enter the'twister ahead 'of the mesh wire; the selvagewires run directly from" the I pulley l 3 totithe twister drum.-

Onthe left-hand side of the ma'chine'lookingin the. direction of advance of the wirefabric the opposite condition exists and in order to" obtain 1 two full twists the mesh wire should enterthe twisters ahead'of the two selvage wires. To accomplish this the two selvagewires are directed about the pulleys l4 and I 5 which result in directing the sewage; wires into the twis'ters. at such'anlangle that the mesh wire. hasfanopportunity to enter ahead of Ithe selvage-wires. If it should b'edesired to have-only. one and one-half twists at each edge of thesstripof wirefabric the pulleys I 4 and I 5 wouldbe. utilized: at the opposite side of the machine; but inv any event thepulleys l4 and 15 are utilized-for the selvage wires'at oneside only of theifabric-stripand' not at both sidesat thesame-timewhenfabric a motor;

mg 2 the -samesnumber of twists: at'both: edges; is

being made. i

It has been: mentioned'that the capstan wire feeder i2 is driven continuously during operation 'ofvthe machineaseisthe twister'drum 2". The

.justed positions-by means such' asset screws .18 'as'showniapplied tozthe middle: bar iniFigure 4. .Theibars. 17' are adjusted to'engage and exert a slight frictional idrag'or'sback tension on the wires. They are positioned'closeto the capstan l2. Since the .barsr'fl 1 exert a1slight I frictional drag or back tension .onttheiwires noisla'ck is. formedbetween the overfeed": preventer' and: the twister drum. When thecapstan; l2 tends to feed the wires through the bars: 11: faster thanxthe wires are drawn forward by. the twister drumthe overfeed preventer due to its.-frictionabengagement'with the wires causes slight "backing up thereof around the capstan and sufficient loosening of. the wires on'the capstan.thatthercapstan turns relatively thereto. As soon as the -twister drum draws the wiresforwardgthey aretightened about the capstan whichagairrbecomes operative to .feed them forward. Thus overfe'eding of the wires'isprevented, resulting in; formation of flat uniform fabric of good qualityand elimination of tangling of wires'in'themacliinet.

Fig. 2B shows diagrammaticallythedrivefor the machine.- 'Ihepower unit'may be-an' electric l9: connectedthrough ascoupling with a gear reducer; 81;. The-drivenshaft 82 ofthe gear 'reducerxis: connectedthrough a coupling 83 with a: trainof. gears in agear case :84 through which the elements: of the'machine'are. driven.

Since I do not claim:any novelty in' the-driving claimed in 7 my, copending; divisional application Serial No. 152,559, filedlMarch 29, 1950.;

While .I have shown and .described certain'present preferred embodiments of the invention it .is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto butimay be otherwise variously' embodied "within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a machine'for making-wire-fabric having a plurality of twisting means, mounting means carrying the twisting means; means moving the mountingmeans to" advance :the' twisting means one after another; meansperiodically turning the twisting means to twist wires together and make wire fabric, means-forming slack in the wires as they enter: thestwisting'means; which slack is taken up by the twisting of the wires,

whereby the wires are advanced at non-uniform speed, guide means for, guiding the wires in their path to the twisting means, capstan means about which the wires are wrapped for pulling the wires froma source of wire in their path to the guiding means, means for driving the capstan means at a speed at least as great as the greatest speed at which the wires are advanced at the twisting means, the capstan means frictionally engaging the wires so 'as to advance the wires when the wires are taut on the exit side of the capstan means, the capstan means also at times havin a tendency to advance the wires through friction of the wires against the capstan means and friction of wraps of the wires against one another even when the wires are not taut on the exit side of the capstan means and thereby to dislodge the wires from proper guided relationship with the guiding means, and an overfeed preventer disposed in the path of the wires between the capstan means and the guiding means, the

overfeed preventer comprising means frictionally engaging the wires to loosen the wires on the capstan means when the wires are not taut on the exit side of the capstan means and thereby proper guided relationship with the guiding means and insure advancing the wires only when the wires are taut on the exit side of the capstan means. V

ALBERT L. STOECKEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,014,599 Kitselman Jan. 9, 1912 1,270,129 Dwig'gins June 18,1918 1,414,371 Nilson May 2, 1922 1,474,778 Johnson Nov. 20, 1923 1,894,703 Pierce Jan. 17, 1933 1,905,086 Gellman Apr. 25, 1933 1,936,931 Bradley Nov. 28, 1933 2,048,341 Kitselman July 21, 1936 2,060,418 Holmquist Nov. 10, 1936 2,140,728 Zarafu Dec. 20, 1938 2,188,358 Kilmer Jan. 30, 1940 2,217,301 Wennberg Oct. 81, 1940 Openshaw June 1, 1948 

